Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a long running series of monthly articles about native plant nurseries in the Southern Great Lakes Region. I’m starting with southern Ontario because that’s where I live, and the first nurseries I highlight will be many of the ones I’ve purchased plants from over the years. I’m really pleased to start with Golden Alexander’s in Sarnia, as this has quickly become one of my favourite sources of native plants.
Native Plant Nursery Name: Golden Alexander’s
Owner/Proprietor: Nick Alexander
Address: 2200 Churchill Line, Sarnia ON
Web Site: https://goldenalexanders.ca
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/goldenalexanders1/
I first met Nick about 3 years ago when I heard about a new native plant nursery opening in the Sarnia area. Sarnia is only about a one-hour drive from my place, and I had already been going to Sarnia to the Aamjiwnaang Greenhouse – Maajiigin Gumig “Place where plants start to grow” – at the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. I was pleasantly surprised, not only with the number of species Nick had, but also with the quality of the plants.
Golden Alexander’s had their first “official” Saturday sales in the Spring of 2022, though Nick apparently had a few 2021 sales strictly through word of mouth as he built his inventory.
Nick currently grows around 200 species of flowers, grasses, ferns, shrubs and trees but that number keeps increasing each year. What I especially appreciate is that Nick sticks to the true species – he doesn’t sell any nativars or non-native species.
Nick collects all his own seeds or digs his plants from his property and his clients’ properties (Nick also provides landscape design and installation, and maintenance, throughout the week). For things like woody plants (trees/shrubs), about 3% of his inventory comes from two reputable nurseries and the rest he grows from cuttings or seeds.
Nick has a horticultural diploma from Algonquin College and spent 9 years working with Shaswn McKnight and the non-profit Return the Landscape, which is where he first learned about the beauty and necessity of growing natives. He told me he was instantly intrigued by the thought of native plant gardening as soon as he heard about it from Shawn back in 2005 or so.
He said that at first it was kind of mysterious because he didn’t know any of the plants. But the more he learned, the more he became convinced there is no need to plant non native plants in landscaping. That’s why, when he took the horticulture program at Algonquin, he already knew he was taking it knowing his end goal was to use native plants, and probably exclusively.
He told me “There is so much variety/texture/colour to choose from. All the big picture stuff (pollinators, ecological benefits, etc) adds lots of extra fuel and meaning to it for me. But I actually don’t like the look of non-native gardens! I love the look of a natural areas and gardens designed to look like them…so good looks= healthy ecosystems”.
In addition to his landscaping business and his nursery, Nick has also planned and installed native gardens/natural areas in city parks, school yards and other natural area enhancements.
Hours of Operation: Golden Alexanders is open to the public on Saturdays from 9 AM to 3 PM (April to Sept with reduced hours in October). But if you’re unable to make it in on a Saturday, Nick can also arrange a weekday morning pickup by appointment.
Noteworthy: This spring, Golden Alexander’s was awarded the Lambton Wildlife “Environmental Award” for their work promoting native plants and supporting biodiversity in Lambton County.
